TAXONOMY 



2 7 I 



The teleutospores are two-celled and have thick walls and per- 

 sistent pedicels. They remain attached to the stubble until the 

 following spring and then either one or both cells composing them 

 produce an outgrowth known as a promycelium (nothing but a 

 basidium divided transversely into four cells). Each cell of the 

 basidium is capable of producing a branch, at the tip of which a 

 basidiospore is formed. These basidiospores are blown to the 

 Barberry (Berberis) and infect the leaves of this plant. The 

 mycelium runs in the intercellular-air-spaces and causes the appear- 

 ance of a number of small depressions on the upper side of the leaf. 

 These in section are a rich chocolate brown and known as sperma- 

 gonia. In the center of a spermagonium are produced hyphae, which 

 project out to its orifice and obstrict off minute spores called sper- 

 macia. On the opposite side of the leaf cup-shaped depressions 

 are formed, each with a limiting membrane (peridium). Within 

 the cup-shaped depression thousands of spores are formed in chains 

 closely packed together. These are the aecidiospores (aeciospores) . 

 The cluster cup is called an ^Ecidium (^Ecium). These aecio- 

 spores are conveyed to wheat and cause infection, thus completing 

 the life cycle. It has been observed that in America the uredospores 

 or summer spores may winter over and infect healthy plants, so that 

 the Barberry phase is completely eliminated from the life cycle. 



Order 3. Auriculariales. The so-called "ear fungi" which occur 

 on the bark of many plants, on wooden fences, etc., as auriculate 

 growths which when young are jelly-like and brilliantly colored, 

 when old, hard, grayish and considerably wrinkled. The ear- 

 like fruiting body is known as the sporophore. Its internal surface 

 is lined with a hymenium or fruiting body consisting of numerous 

 four-celled basidia, each of which cuts off at its tip a basidiospore. 



Order 4. Tremellales. Saprophytes which live on decaying 

 wood as moist, soft, quivering, gelatinous growths becoming later dry 

 and horny. 



SUB-CLASS B. AUTOBASIDIOMYCETES 



(Mostly fleshy forms characterized by one-celled basidia with generally four, 

 occasionally six, eight or two sterigmata each of which cuts off a basidiospore at 

 its tip.) 



